SPAIN: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Real Madrid and Bayern Munich prepare for their Champions League match at the Bernabeu stadium

The two continental heavyweights have failed to live up to their billing this season with a series of poor performances in their respective domestic leagues and are in urgent need of a shot in the arm. A misfiring Real are treading water in fourth place in La Liga after an insipid 0-0 draw at home to Real Betis on Saturday (February 17) and have scored just once in their last four home games. "I think that the Champions League is different. The Bernabeu (stadium) will be with the team, that's for sure, the fans will be with the team as always. I have seen League matches here (in Madrid) and they have always motivated the team," Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello told the reporters. A faltering Bayern lie fourth in the Bundesliga after a 1-0 defeat to Alemannia Aachen, their second defeat in three games since the return of Ottmar Hitzfeld as coach. "We can't be so confident of the Bayern's bad moment, we know that we are not going through a good moment either so none of us can be so confident of each other's bad moment," Real's winger Jose Antonio Reyes told a news conference on Monday (February 20). "We hope that we play well and that the crowd won't jeer us, and, of course that we win. I think winning tomorrow would be a good step which would make us grow up also for the league," he added. European competition tends to bring the best out of two old foes who between them have won the continent's most prized trophy 13 times. Bayern have the edge on the head-to-head record having won on nine of the 16 occasions on which the two teams have met in Europe, but Real have knocked the Germans out twice in the last five seasons. Real coach Fabio Capello, who won the Champions League with AC Milan in 1994, will be without versatile defender Sergio Ramos, who limped off at the weekend with a bruised foot and is likely to be replaced by former reserve team defender Miguel Torres. Left back Roberto Carlos returns after a month out with a calf injury, while David Beckham, who wassent off at the end of the Betis match, should start on Tuesday following his recent einstatement to the Real squad. Bayern's league season went from bad to worse on Saturday as they suffered their second defeat in three games since the return of Hitzfeld to replace Felix Magath. Once again Bayern were devoid of ideas in attack and nervous in defence in the defeat at Aachen and Hitzfeld has been left to pin his hopes on a change of competition bringing a change in attitude. "Our problems are very similar (Real and Bayern). One is to take advantage of the goal chances that we have. And the second problem that I see in both teams is in the creation of goal opportunities. I think Real Madrid is a little better defending, they have been scored only 23 goals while Bayern is still improving and stabilising," said Hitzfeld. Midfielder Owen Hargreaves missed the Aachen game because of illness but he stands a chance of returning to the team on Tuesday. "I've been injured for a long time and I'm happy to be back with the team and I have earned this match tomorrow in Madrid and I hope to play tomorrow from the beginning," said Hargreaves. Lukas Podolski came off the bench and the striker should win promotion to the starting line-up alongside Roy Makaay. Probable teams: Real Madrid: 1-Iker Casillas; 38-Miguel Torres, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 21-Ivan Helguera, 3-Roberto Carlos or 12-Marcelo; 23-David Beckham, 8-Emerson, 16-Fernando Gago, 7-Raul; 14-Guti or 20-Gonzalo Higuain, 17-Ruud van Nistelrooy. Bayern Munich: 1-Oliver Kahn; 2-Willy Sagnol, 3-Lucio, 5-Daniel van Buyten, 21-Philipp Lahm; 2-Hasan Salihamidzic, 23-Owen Hargreaves, 17-Mark van Bommel, 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger; 10-Roy Makaay, 11-Lukas Podolski: Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

ITN Source | February 21, 2007

Tags:. .lie. .fourth. .either. .draw. .confident